Why We Need to Feel Needed and How to Overcome It
As human beings, we all have a basic need for connection and belonging. We want to feel like we matter, that we have a purpose and that others value us. However, when this need becomes an overpowering desire to feel needed, it can create issues that impact our mental and emotional well-being. Let’s take a closer look at some reasons why a person may feel the need to be needed and what can be done to overcome it. Low Self-Esteem A person with low self-esteem may believe they don’t have much to offer, so they seek validation by being needed by others. To overcome this, it’s essential to build self-esteem by identifying and challenging negative self-talk, focusing on strengths and accomplishments, setting and achieving goals, and engaging in self-care activities that promote positive feelings about oneself. Lack of Purpose If a person does not have a sense of purpose or direction in life, they may try to find it by being needed by others. Finding purpose can involve exploring one’s interests, values, and goals, and finding ways to use those things to contribute to something greater than oneself, such as a cause or community. Codependency A codependent person may feel like they need to be needed by others to feel valuable or important. Overcoming codependency can involve: Fear of Abandonment A person afraid of being abandoned may try to make themselves indispensable to others to prevent them from leaving. Addressing the fear of abandonment can involve examining the underlying beliefs
